Fourth of July is a few days away…. a time to celebrate the day of American Independence.

During this time of remembrance, may we steal a moment to tip our hats in honor of all the brave men and women who sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy.

Too often, we allow holidays to pass, with scarcely a hesitation to ponder the meaning of the occasion.

July 4th is an example in which it is easy to forget the meaning of the day. Instead, we tend to focus on:

a long weekend, or the day off

the gatherings of friends and family

the wafting aromas of simmering patties and barbequed ‘dogs

hoisting a flag, and tipping a frosty-favorite to await the evening’s “rocket’s red glare”

I’ve done it too… I’ve forgotten to pause for a breath, and show a moment of gratitude for such a historic occasion.

I’ve forgotten to appreciate the delegates of the Continental Congress of 1776, who on July 4th adopted a document — written by Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and the rest of their posse — they called the Declaration of Independence, which declared American independence from the rule of England.

However, this year, I am making a point to remember… I promise to pause, and take that breath, and serve my moment of gratitude for those we honor.

I’ll be inspired to recall that Freedom was their purpose.

I’ll be humbled by their brilliance, boldness, and conviction.

I’ll be emboldened by their fortitude, and beholden of their sacrifice.

And this gratitude will not diminish my amusement of the pomp, or my delight of the ceremony.

However, as usual, I will be puzzled… puzzled by the excuse of the holiday for “Yet Another Mattress Sale”.

I’m not actually referring to mattresses, specifically, of course. I just get numbed by the abundant piggybacking of this holiday as a reason for another sale. But I mustn’t get too critical, since I do understand.

In our business, there are not a lot of opportunities to really show our customers that we appreciate them. We are not a brick-n-mortar store, so it’s not like we can greet them at the door with balloons and whistles.

So, we rely on a few other opportunities to share a small token of appreciation. The challenge is to show our appreciation without it coming across as trite… or worse… as Yet-Another-Mattress-Sale.

This means we are keeping it simple, for I do not wish to diminish the real meaning of July 4th.

There will be no fancy presentations or “midnight openings”.

We have no in-your-face graphics or inflatable air-dancers that look like Uncle Sam.

As an early adrenaline junky, Bill Evans learned the harsh lessons of pay-back, as his body eventually rebelled with daily reminders that the thrills of "fast times" are fleeting, and the baggage of payment is heavy. In 1997, he began Applied Health as a means to design the products his own body craved. All these years later, he is back to enjoying most of the activities he once had to forfeit, albeit, this time he is a bit wiser. For more of Bill's articles, [click on this link] [follow on Facebook, Twitter and Google+]